Hopefully it's not too apparent that every trip featured so far on BlythBros. has been conceived and attempted by engineers. And, hopefully, the traits commonly associated with engineers – being logical, rational, analytical, and concrete – haven't surfaced too often in the pages of the blog. Really, it doesn't take an engineering degree to be able to drain the pleasure from activities, road trips included. Our goal for this trip was simply to drive to Canada. Read more…

A few weeks ago the strategic group consisting of Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and Lotus voted against a binding budget cap. It rightfully infuriated the teams, although Mercedes for example tried to relative its veto as it "would have not changed a thing". The majority simply was against it. Even Lotus, a team that had to cut 100 jobs and rely on Crashtor Maldonados PDVSA Oil money, couldn't be bothered. Maybe they are hoping to finally get the investors' money and be able to challenge the big teams also in terms of resources. Read more…

For years I had been hearing about the Swap Meet in Hershey, PA. My personal Porsche mentor, Mark Schlachter of Metalkraft Coachwerkes in Cincinnati, had told me countless stories of his findings and adventures at the Swap Meet and the sea of Porsches that could be found cruising the lot. Finally, this year I got to attend and now know why Mark, and countless other Porsche enthusiasts look forward to this event each and every year. Read more…

As reported in The Morning Shift, sales stats show that the Sedan is dead. Or at least dying in the way that old folks in nursing homes do: Abandoned and slowly being forgotten until they're gone and no longer a burden. And the truth about the waning interest in the sedan is for one very good reason: They've become the most impractical vehicle on the road today. Now that may seem like a bold statement, especially with Hummers and Bro Trucks rolling around cities with 4 wheel drive and lift kits that are never used save for driving over curbs to get into turn lanes, or brush guards that will never see anything more than a shopping cart. But believe it or not, they're picking up the slack where sedans let consumers down. Read more…

It's May. Summer is just around the bend. And that means we're getting ready to head into the heart of classic car show season, a special time of year when Mr. Mid-Life Crisis backs that old V8 something out of the garage, rubs on a fresh coat of wax and trailers it out to the largest parking lot near you. Read more…

Recently, at age 37 I bought my first hot hatch. I've had similar cars before, a previous generation Focus sedan, a Saabaru 9-2X Aero, etc. But this is the first one that truly meets the criteria. So I now find myself explaining it to people. Curious. Read more…

Last year we tested, and loved the Jaguar F-Type range, but I have never been a fan of cabriolets…now there is a full Coupe F-Type hitting the streets; naturally we had to try it out. We opted for the top of the range V8 monster, the R. It is fitted with the same engine found in the Jaguar XKR-S, making the R the most powerful F-Type so far. There are also numerous upgrades and tweaks under that oh so pretty aluminium skin. Read more…

New Mexico is taking vehicle history reports to a whole new level. A new regulation that was set to go into effect on April 1st (now delayed until August) dictates that: every car —new, used or vintage, be sold with an inspection disclosure affidavit that shows any damage the car has ever experienced in its entire history, down to the door dings. Of course this new law is raising concerns with both dealers and car-buyers. Read more…

Could you call it the ultimate grand touring supercar? The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Coupe combines performance and comfort, whilst retaining the thrill and wow factor like no other. It's fast, it's loud, but can it do the driver proud? Read more…

Some of you may have heard of the "hoax" of the 160mpg car. You would be forgiven if you haven't heard the story as it originated in the late 1970s. Tom Ogle, a high school drop out from El Paso, California was able to create a fuel system that gave his 1970 Ford Galaxie over 100mpg. Read more…

Having three weeks away from a race with the next in Europe, where all of the teams have established their base of operations, the Spanish Gran Prix regularly supports a plethora of technical updates. Here's what we can look forward to and what we should look out for next weekend. Read more…

I barely slept the night before, and consequently woke up late, and my mother took the van I was going to use to get there (which I found, and I had to retrieve and refuel). Once getting to the roads near the event, I got lost halfway down the road from the spectating area, the reason is still unknown to me. Read more…

I've never been to a rally. So I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I packed my car this morning for the Lanark Highlands Forest Rally in Eastern Ontario. I printed the recommended maps, packed my camera, threw in a small lunch and went driving. Read more…

I wanted to write this up as a bit of a lesson to a ton of naysayers I've seen - I owned this car for a whole year. I drove it almost every day. I did most of the custom work in about three weekends in May. I attended Eurohangar 2013, I cruised Woodward, I went to numerous smaller gatherings and outings, and did a few business trips to places like Chicago and all over west michigan with it and some rolls of fabrics or chemical samples in it… This car is a testament to the fact that you can intelligently build and modify a car for everyday use. Read more…

The Lexus LS was first introduced in 1989 but it took a few years before buyers were willing to accept an executive class sized offering from a Japanese manufacturer. Ironically just as the second generation LS was getting into production, Mercedes was going into the dark era of Daimler-Chrysler when quality went out the door like scruples on Wall Street. Read more…